My Killer
by wisegirlindisguise
Summary: Welcome to the war.
1. Death by Accident

**This was a random one shot that popped into my head. I was thinking about war and how in fight scenes the world seems to fade out around the hero and they only focus on their own actions not noticing those around them. Hope you like it. **

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_"Only in death will we have our names since only in death are we no longer part of the effort. In death we become heroes."_ ~Chuck Palahniuk

Golden rays of the sun caress the morning sand of the beach. A black haired boy sits upon the sands caught up in him self. He's been rather down since the war. This is two weeks after and I know him. I should remember him. He is after all the reason I am where I am. I'm stuck. I can't get out. Trapped, its how I've always felt.

I can't leave behind everything to start a new, not since I left Tennessee. Trapped in this camp they called a safe haven for my kind, it's boggling to the mind. The last time I felt free was when I was on the stage at age twelve. Forced to leave my home and heaven I came to Manhattan. Pollution dominated the once pure air around me, and I believed as soon as I stepped off that muggy bus that I would never leave. How right I was to fear the belief.

I never was able to leave Manhattan. The war against the titans started to round its way into existence and campers were always disappearing. It was my job to keep track of who went in and who went out of camp. The one person I never was able to keep track of was that black haired boy that I watched now.

He was quiet in a sense that screamed for your attention. He had a few friends that he always stuck to. He had many enemies including a god or two. But, no matter where he went and how careful he was he ended up on the T.V. for something he simply didn't mean for to happen. The mist protected most demigods, but something about this boy seemed to get him in trouble no matter the protection he had been provided.

He was clearly in love as well. I didn't have to be a daughter of Aphrodite to see that. He would never admit it. His first kiss was kept secret behind the tears that followed the moment that was supposed to be bliss. The girl had returned to camp in quiet sobs withholding hysterics, but not wanting to lose that of a heart she had just gained. A ceremony had been prepared and she had given a great epilogue for his passing and he appeared again as if he was meant to be a boomerang. He always returned.

I remember the day I finally realized his importance. I was standing back with my siblings watching in fear as the boy realized what was waiting across the bridge just over a quarter mile away.

"Now," he nearly whispered and we all strained to hear his words. "we pull back."

That seemed to set the army in motion as Kronos called his men into the fight. With swords high the troops charged in our direction. My siblings behind me had mustered up the sanity in the situation and began firing off volley after volley into the enemy lines. I watched as a boy mounted upon a skeletal horse was hit in the kink of his army and was knocked to the ground. He was yet to be dead, but the rest didn't seem to care as the horse trampled over his pain writhing body.

I gasped at the sight and ran forward mindlessly. The pounding of blood in my ears blocked out any call from the people behind me to retreat. Percy turned and yelled at the campers behind him. Though I couldn't hear the actual sound of his voice I read his lips.

"Retreat!" He bellowed back to us and I almost stopped, but then continued. "I'll hold them!" He continued. He didn't even notice my approach. I was either unimportant he was caught up in the moment like everyone else was.

The monsters and demigods seemed to appear around us shouting at us. I won't repeat their words for they were that of which would wound you eternally. And I think they did, I would remember those insults for the rest of my life. Percy began to swing and I watched his expertise.

Somehow, I was rounded in closer to him. The monster seemed to tighten their swirling pushing me closer to his blade. I had no where to go. I took the dagger I kept on my belt and began to slash at those I could reach. One demigod seemed to have it out for me as he popped out from the tight circular cage they had trapped me in with the swordsman. He shoved me backwards.

I felt as if my soul was being ripped from me. The cold celestial bronze of none other then Riptide ripped through my flesh and I fell to the ground. I could feel as the warm moist liquid slowly seeped through my clothing staining me with crimson blood. Tears began to fall, but I didn't let out a cry for help. I knew there were others who were more important in this battle. My vision grew fuzzy with the loss of blood. My world slowly went dark and my body released all the tensions it had been withholding. The boy who had killed me didn't even notice that he killed me.

So, as I watch this boy on the beach I realize I only truly knew this boy as one thing. This sixteen year-old boy saved the world and killed many in the process. I can tell the souls I meet in the Underworld that, yes, I know Perseus T. Jackson. They may ask 'how?' and I will answer with the simple words, "He is my killer."

- Mellisa Wrider, daughter of Apollo.


	2. Death by Distractions

**This series is going to to get good. This has a bit of lost love, but it was needed. It's not fluff though. I promised that. **

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Should the breeze hit in such a way that it is touching me now? I can feel it going through my very core freezing my soul to nothing. My soul, it's leaving me. This wound seems to be draining it from me. I can't breathe anymore. I can't feel. My fingertips tingle with the numbness of nothing. They prickle when the wind caresses them gently though I don't mind. I deserve this though I didn't mean to do it.

My lord always found ways to blame me and not those who were at fault. I was the target. I was always the target. I miss one step and them it is immediately my fault. I was never on the line though. I never fought. I never killed. I never even breathed unless told to. When he said "jump", I said "how high?" I don't see why I am the target. I was only meant to serve as a helping hand in this war not the punching bag.

I will give it to you that I have made mistakes. I once killed a monster in training that was the head of some sort of infantry group for the army. I got my fair share of punishment. Twenty lashes and a month without food was plenty of punishment. The scars that mark my back now are a clear showing that I never made that mistake again in favor of my life.

Once, I accidently misinformed my master. When you see with your own eyes the son of Poseidon being exploded from the top of Mt. Saint Helens you expect him to die. When he comes out of no where two weeks ago so informed by our sweet little spy inside the camp, you're punished once again. Thirty lashing and another three months without food while in solitude. I practically went crazy, but it was my mistake; I should've known. I was so stupid. I should have done something to make sure of it like finding the body, but I was so excited for his death I ran back to camp too fast for evidence.

I'm not sure why I still make mistake. I would've learned within these four years, but I didn't. I was always stubborn. Always. I never did really do what I was told. Now, it was getting me killed.

Earlier today we started to war. I sat high and mighty atop a skeletal horse. A mace hung at my side. The fight was already apparent before me. You could hear some screams and some cries as the city that never sleeps slept. New York City had a certain eeriness to it, may that be in the silence of the sleeping mortals and the screaming of the demigods around us, or the hustle and bustle that became the silence to the inhabitants of the city.

I carried a mace for a reason unnoticed by most. Maces were used in the past as a weapon for use while on horse back. It could pierce armor and break the skulls of the wearer without breaking your hand in the process. Mine was special though. I had stayed up late many nights and had not only made the points as sharp as possible I was able to electrify the tips. As soon as my mace made contact with the helmet of an enemy demigod I could press a button with my thumb and it would send a shock into the medal eventually spreading to their whole body. It made it a lot easier to kill them then having to come back for a second round.

The fighting begun and my master sent me around to a separate bridge. We were supposed to drive pack Perseus Jackson's forces to the Empire State Building where we would end it. I took a good number of operatives over to the bridge. We set up on one side of the bridge wondering why there wasn't any fighting on this side. All that sat here was dead bodies. The second day of fighting and we had already lost so many just right here. There were ten or more bodies the others had been monsters who vanished with death.

"Captain," Someone moaned. I looked up immediately spotting the boy who had called my position, my best friend. His raven hair was matted to his forehead making him look even more hurt than need be. I don't know why expected much him, but I did. I wanted him to stand up tell me it was just a slight wound and that he could fight tonight. I noticed one of his legs was missing and I bit back my tongue from screaming.

When you enter the army the first thing they tell you is what you're fighting for. When in the U.S. Army it would be for your country or for the man next to you. In this army, you fought for one person and one person only. It wasn't even your self. You fought for your lord. Not your god or your preference but your lord, you fought for no one else.

I'd like to say I helped my friend. I'd like to say I dismounted at that moment and helped him get back to our base. But, I didn't. I left him there on the ground letting him die slowly. I was going to let him bleed out simply because of the two rules we had to follow.

You follow every order that your lord gives you.

If someone falls, they are on their own. They are left behind.

Simple rules when you read them yes, but when you try to watch your best friend die due to loss of blood you wanted to help them. It's almost impossible to resist. It's one of the few things you can't resist. That and to mourn over death.

Some of the demigods around me looked to me in question to see if we would break the rules. I simply looked ahead waiting for the fight to begin. I pulled a sword from my sheath and twirled it once in my hand to point it at the sky. It signified a forward motion of my people.

We slowly traveled forward waiting for any ambush to come at any time. There was a quiet ticking noise and I stopped. Everyone halted around me moving anxiously on the balls of their feet. A hydra stepped forward claiming to me that I was being paranoid. She stumbled a bit and a silver gleam caught my eye, a tripe wire. I backed my horse up immediately not wanting to get blown to pieces. A couple of people backed up with me just as two barrels of Greek fire blew up before our eyes. The hydra was engulfed in green flames along with a couple of other monsters.

The flames subsided revealing the cavalry on the other side. All of them were in grey shirts with camouflage pants. The girl at the front had a serious face that would make the weak man tremble. She had a silver circlet placed perfectly on top of her head. A bow and a quiver of arrows were on her back. Her arms were crossed over her chest.

I recognized the girl in the back, my ex-girlfriend. She had the same look as the girl in the front with that bit of fear in her eyes. She had joined the Huntresses out of the fact that I myself had joined the _other _side. I got distracted and mindlessly gave the order for the go ahead. My troops tore through the huntresses with great effort. The Huntresses were fast and had grown quickly over the couple years that the war had been relevant.

I watched as some of my people got to the back lines of the Huntresses and began to tear them apart from the back. They grabbed the girl that had distracted me and I took off into the ranks after the guy with the dagger at her neck. I yanked her from his grasp after knocking several girls to the side with my sword. None were killed and none hurt technically I had made no progress.

"We don't take hostages." The boy spat at me.

"We don't. I do. She's a virgin and I'll be taking her back to camp as my own." I lifted her onto the horses back and bound her hands. She punched me pretty hard just before I yanked her forward. She grunted sounding like she was in pain and then stayed still.

"Don't think Kronos won't hear about this." He threatened before turning around to slash at another huntress.

I rode back to the edge of the fighting and watched as it unfolded. The sun started to peak over to horizon and our forces froze. I called them all back and we retreated back to the base. Everyone stared at me as I dropped off my horse to one of the monsters and then took the girl off the back of the skeletal creature.

"My Lord is looking for you. He says to bring the girl." A messenger said to me quickly and then ran off. I dragged her with me as we weaved between the people. Some people stared while others just looked happy to see actual blackmail possibly being pursued during the war.

I pushed through the crowds finally finding the tent that Lord was staying in. He called my name through the canvas and I entered cautiously. He turned to face me holding his scythe in hand. I stood tall with my shoulders back.

"Hand her over," He demanded holding out a hand. I placed the rope quickly in his hand and he yanked her forward. He touched her face gingerly and I felt the anger bubble up inside me. "You let her get to you." He claimed pushing her away from him.

"I'm sorry sir." I bowed my head in apology and felt a heavy hand rest on my shoulder. The power of the scythe radiated somewhere near by.

Someone leaned in close to me and had there lips at me ear. The unforgiving medal of the scythe entered through my midsection and I gasped. "No you're not. You never were." He whispered lowly into my ear. I dropped to the ground in pain. My knees dug into the gravel and I heard Raleigh scream.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked. I felt as her hands shook touching my arm.

"Do you wish to find out Raleigh Lockhart?" Kronos asked evilly wiping my blood from his blade.

"Kill me, please… I only changed for him." She sobbed letting her head rest on my shoulder. She screamed as someone yanked her to her feet and dragged her from the tent. "No, please, don't do this! Gods, I loved him!" Raleigh shouted being pulled away. I could hear as her feet were digging into the dirt try to stop the person's progress with no prevail. She was gone, and so was I.

So, should the breeze hit in such a way that it is touching me now? It froze me to the core just as my soul was taken to the Underworld.

- Samuel Fondeil, son of Nike, Captain of Kronos's Army.


	3. Death by Deception

**I like this one. It's writing style is a bit different because of the person. So, just read it and then tell me what you think!**

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Everyone expected the war to go fast. We get in we teach the titans who's in charge in this lifetime and then we leave. That's what we had all expected. We didn't expect a lasting war with them that only took place at night because Lord Kronos himself was riding among the ranks of his men.

On the second day I had charged in with extreme fever with my boyfriend at my side. We sliced through a row of monsters easily. It almost seemed too easy as we continued through. We ran into a wall of half-blood operatives and stopped. We had been informed by our leader, Perseus Jackson, that we were to injure these people so that they can't fight back, but try not kill them. It was harder to continue a fight that way.

I slashed carefully at one's legs and she went down easily. I stepped around her nearly getting pummeled by a guy try to get through my armor. He just barely missed the kink of my armor and I easily disarmed his poor stance and he fell when sliced at the knee by Tyler, my boyfriend. I smiled at him and then tried to continue.

I screamed out in pain as I felt a dagger come through the metal plating of my armor. I dropped to the ground out of pain not sure what else to do. I thought I was finished until Tyler stepped over me.

"Get her out of here." I monster hissed to a giant. The giant picked me up easily nearly crushing my ribs.

A half-blood stepped in front of Tyler clashing blades with him to distract him. "Consider her dead," The boy chuckled throwing Tyler back with a heavy blow. I felt as tears pricked my eyes at the thought of being killed, but it wasn't me that I was worried about; it was Tyler.

I watched as he faded from my view. The soft gleam of his bronze armor in the still setting sun was all I had left to look at as I was carried away. I struggled in the monster's grip. The pain from the dagger wound pulse through every cell of my body.

I saw the torch light of a campsite as we came near to Kronos's base. The monster set me down and I lay down on the ground not able to move myself. Someone came over to me and I recognized her to be a former camper, daughter of Apollo.

"Come on, let's fix you up." She said quietly helping me to fight.

"I won't fight with you." I ground my teeth at the pain as we walked toward the medical tent.

"We don't intend on you fighting." A blonde haired boy walked past me as he said that. He eyes had a strange golden tint to them that made him look like he was in charge. There was a large scar down the side of his face that made an odd shadow in the flames of the torches. The girl leading me stopped and bowed awkwardly to him. He nodded and continued to walk.

She continued to lead me until we came into a tent. She bound my hands tightly with a piece of rope and tied it around the tent support. The daughter of Apollo unlatched my armor quickly as if she was used to the demigod armor we were using from camp. She placed it to the side and someone came in and took it. I tried to undo the knots that bound my hands together with no prevail.

I felt the sting of disinfecting alcohol touch the wound and a hiss escaped between my teeth. She poured some directly onto it and I arched my back in pain. She laughed a little at my reaction and then covered the wound tightly with gauze and tape.

"You're going to stay here for the rest of tonight and tomorrow." She informed me and then left. I tried the knots again and found it impossible. Playing captive was cool and all during Capture the Flag and all, but this sucked. I thrashed out, out of anger and then slid my hand down the pole so that I could sit on the ground.

The man with the golden eyes and the scar came into the tent not noticing me at first and pulled some supplies from a bin. He turned to leave and saw me. He froze his eyes flashing blue and then he smiled.

"Why, hello there." He greeted putting the stuff down on a table and coming to sit on the ground.

"Get away from me!" I snapped trying to back away with nowhere to go.

His hand slapped me clean across the face and I turned away with the action. "I don't think you realize who you're talking to girl." He spat grabbing the collar to my shirt and pulling to my feet. "You have quite a wound there." He mentioned pressing two fingers into the wound. I screamed out involuntarily feeling as pain spread back through my body. "I wouldn't disrespect me child."

"You're hurting my friends. I will disrespect you if I want to." I hissed feeling the anger and pain join together into pure fury.

"If you value your life I suggest you don't."

"Kill me, I dare you."

"Your time will come…" Was the last thing he said before he put me down and left with the things he had collected. I took a deep breath. It was so big it reached the pit of my stomach.

I sat back down on the ground letting myself drift into my dreamless sleep. It was all I could ask for at this point. Most of my dreams were nightmares so there for I was happy I didn't have to deal with waking in the middle of the night screaming. The cold dirt beneath me and the cool night air above was all that was in my dreams. It gave me a peaceful sleep.

Luckily enough I didn't wake until just before sunset. The daughter of Apollo was waiting holding up old armor. It was dinged up and was silver instead bronze like I was used to. She strapped me into it quickly not needed more then ten minutes even with all the pieces required. Before she put the helmet on she gagged me so that I couldn't talk. They loaded me up onto the back someone's horse and they took me out to the front line.

A hydra pulled from the top of the horse and carried me out into the first line of people. The creature nailed one of my feet to the ground and winced at the feeling of the medal of the armor coming down on my foot slightly. I could cry out and I couldn't move. I was stuck at the front line. I thought this would be obvious to the people we were going to fight until a monster slapped a leader helmet upon my head. I was the prime target I looked like a Lieutenant standing with her troops.

The demigods filled in around me along with a couple of monsters and night fell. A war cry came from across the river and I waited as the demigods of the gods began to make their way toward us. At the front was Tyler. He spotted me and whispered something in someone's ear. I thought he had recognized me. I thought he was going to come and save me. How wrong I was.

The charge forward and he came straight for me. My hopes began to fade as he took out his sword. He twirled it once and then his last words to me weren't 'I love you.' Or, 'I've saved you.' The words were, "For Nellie," He ran me through with his sword. I dropped to my knees letting the blood flow from me. I couldn't scream; I couldn't say anything. I let tears over run my face.

Tyler came back around and ripped the helmet from my head. I looked up at him tears going in a steady stream down my cheeks. "Nellie…" He removed the cloth from my mouth and I let out a scream finally able release the tensions. As soon as I finished he whispered his apology quickly and then kissed me on the lips. "I love you Nellie. I'll fight for you." He promised at my last breath came.

I don't wish to roam the Underworld. No one does. But, I left in the cruelest way. I was killed by the one that loved me due to deception. I forgave Tyler as soon as his sword made the connection with my body. I will never forgive myself for not telling him I loved him before I died.

- Nellie Allis, daughter of Hermes


	4. Death by Indecision

**HAH! I escaped writers' block on this story and was able to write this person right here. This person has to be one of the most... torn people I've written. Though, it probably won't make you cry. Unless, you're just weak tear holders. I can understand that. Hope you enjoy this. Because I enjoyed writing it. **

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One gun shot. Broken hearts. Nothing else. One simple movement of the finger can change someone's life and everyone around them. The war changed many people. It forced many people to grow up faster than they would have liked. It was sad really to watch. One day you see the happy go lucky person skipping to archery. The next day you seem them with abrasions on their face and dagger in hand. They stand on high ends expecting an attack at any moment.

That's how it is in camp right now. No one can enjoy it the way they're supposed to. We're supposed to have fun with how we're learning to take care of our selves in the real world. Usually for a mortal, this would mean big business classes and college. For a half-blood at camp, it meant you train everyday and make friends. Along with making those friends we are now learning how to kill them.

Chiron doesn't like it. He thinks we know how to do this. He thinks that if it came down to the fight the Perseus Jackson was trying to avoid, then we would know exactly what to do. Mr. D thinks differently. The schedule is eat, train, sleep, and then do it all again the next day. When heat would send some people inside at normal camps we were out sweating by the gallons just so we can prepare for a possible fight. The winter chill would usually force indoor activities for other places on earth. We on the other hand risked a slight frostbite the year that our borders nearly failed us. It was all so much.

It was some big thing to know your side too. You were either Percy or Luke. The girls, every single one of the single ones, leaned toward Luke. So what if he's good looking? He almost killed Thalia Grace for gods' sake! Percy had his flaws too. He seemed to be a bit of a snob. He was the talk of the camp and a bit self absorbed. I don't blame the guy. Almost dying his first year of camp and then possibly being the child of the Great Prophecy. He had a lot on his plate. He could still spare a friendship with someone other then Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood. He's never even spoken to me. Whatever, I don't really care. I was a Nobody, aka undetermined.

My girlfriend has a bit better of a name. Casey knows what's going on and helps me make the alliances that are required to survive day to day life in the demigod world. A daughter of Aphrodite can be very resourceful. I'm just happy she chose me.

It's hard to say I'm not happy because this war has definitely brought some excitement to camp. After being here for a while it's easy to get bored. But, now with the war we have a conversation topic for every night. What side are you?

A lot of people hung around camp that weren't exactly sure who they were going to choose. This section of people included my self. We weren't exactly sure who was right. Though, Casey, my girlfriend, and I saw it differently. Most people chose the mortal argument which was Luke and Percy. We on the other hand chose between titans or gods. The mortal argument was so over rated. It didn't matter which boy because both were just demigod speakers for the different sides of the war.

Luke once came to camp to talk to the undecided. We had been having a private discussion on our view of the war. Luke walked in with to large goon looking people and locked us in and Chiron out.

"You can do so much more than they are teaching you here." He claimed stalking around the room. "I myself know that. I've seen it. Apollo kids have done well with our training. They have amounted to so much more than just the camp healers. They've gone bigger." He walked around the room like a predator. It was a slow sauntering like movement. Luke had changed so much by this time. His scar looked more likely a deadly mark then a harmless quest gone wrong. It seemed to have deepened and he looked older. A grey streak sat in his hair matching both Percy and Annabeth's from holding the sky. I guessed he had done the same thing at some point. He was reading faces. Luke was trying to see who would join his side of the fight. Any slight bit of thinking shown on somebody's face drew his attention. I, well I, I wore a poker face. "Think about it." Was the last thing he said before he disappeared for the last time at camp.

He never did come back, but what he did say get the camp into a flurry. No one rested until everyone chose a side. But, voicing your side was hard to do especially when it was for Luke. A rumor had gone around about Mr. D at one point because once someone chose the Titan's they were around for another week tops before they vanished. We were all under the impression that once you chose the titans Mr. D would find out and then hunt you down. No one ever showed up again after they chose titans. Most tried to keep their view private, but once one person knew, everyone knew.

Casey and I were the only ones who hadn't chosen yet. Everyone else chose and a week later half of them were gone. I wasn't positive where they went. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know, but that's not what mattered.

Three weeks after Luke came Casey chose. I wasn't sure if I agreed with her, but once she chose I had a higher preference. I didn't have much time to talk to her about it either. Three days later, she disappeared from camp.

I tried not to let myself be biased by her choice. But, it was hard. I wanted to find out where they all went. Mr. D couldn't possibly be sitting around with body bags waiting. It didn't matter. I needed to choose. At this point I was the only one left who hadn't chosen. I was treated like a star. Everyone wanted me to choose the gods. I knew I should have. I should have chosen the gods. But, I leaned more and more toward the titans.

The pressure started to tear me apart. People bugged me and yelled at me. My girlfriend was gone. I was alone in a world of the undecided. I was an undetermined. I couldn't choose a side. And I lost my other half to decision. I wasn't sure if I wanted to decide.

Two weeks before the actual war in New York City is when I decided what to do. I left cabin eleven early with one thing in my hand. A gun.

The gun used to be my step fathers. He told me to use it when I got in trouble. Naturally, when monsters started to come after me I took it for protection. When I got to camp I befriended Hephaestus' children and got them to cover every bullet with a thin coating of celestial bronze. The gun was dangerous to both human and monster alike. It was also the perfect weapon to kill a demigod. This detail meant the most to me…

I stood at the borders of Camp Half-Blood, my home since age nine. At age 15 I shot and killed my self. I didn't die from attack, or mutiny. I died from indecision.

– Tanner Michaels, died undetermined, son of Morpheus


	5. Death by Guilt

**I love writing these one shots. I'd appreciate more reviewers so tell your friends. Yes, they may cry, but it's just a lot of fun to focus on the people who aren't focused on. I really like this one. I do. So, check it out, and tell your friends. **

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I sit here and I just stare. The name written across the rock had meant so much to me. That very person had saved me from what I thought was a pointless way of life. I had thought that the only thing waiting for a demigod was death. I thought that for so long I had forgotten about the little things in life like friendship and family that was close. I even forgot about one big thing… love. I found it with him.

It was too late though. I had already given myself over as a spy. Silena wasn't the only spy among the campers. No, I was the one never caught. I was the one who wore the necklace of the scythe. A silver chain rested around my neck lightly as if made of air. I finger it mindlessly every now and then. I hurt so many with that one charm. It truly was a disgrace to wear it.

I had hurt so many people. That included the person who was six feet under at the grave stone I stood at now. I look around and it looks like a soldier's cemetery. Row after row of grave stones and flowers sat in this patch of grass. Every single one of these people I felt responsible for. I had given away positions and special attacks to the other side simply because I thought life would just end anyways.

I take another look at the names skimming over the different ones. My best friend's stone sits two rows away and slightly to the left. I feel as the tears prick my eyes and I read the name and the small quote of her life over and over. My eyes slide over to look at her boyfriend's name and a whimper escapes my lips. I hurt both of them. I ended it for both of them. I did this. I did this to every single one of the campers that laid beneath my feet in this field.

I skim the names next to the love of my life's grave. On his left side his best friend's name is etched into a dark marble slab. I touch the etching of the words with the tips of my fingers and find it cold. I knew it was going to be cold, but I still drew away quickly as if it had burned me. I continue to the next name which is his. I went to the right side and froze. I took two steps back in shock and stared at the name unsure if what I was seeing was correct. A flash back of my last moment went past my eyes as I read my name etched into the marble stone.

Two arms wrapped around my shoulders and I turned to look at the fading vision of him. He had a look of disappointment as he touched the charm. A tear slid down my cheek as I watched his figure pass. I had done this to myself. I stood at this grave site because I had nothing better to do. I was dead. I had died in battle. But, the only thing that separated me from the others who laid at peace here. I don't lay at rest. I died the complete opposite of a hero.

The day I died was at the war. The actual fighting had not yet begun and I had escaped the hotel we had taken refuge to. The others were still sleeping since it was the middle of the day. The titans' forces had taken refuge back across the bridge sitting in abandoned warehouses and other unsteady structures.

I ran through the streets weaving through the different lying bodies of the sleeping New Yorkers. The city wasn't supposed to be this quiet, but it was. People lie almost lifeless except for the rise and fall of their chests signifying the life they had left. I came to the edge of the city when the sun was at its highest. I looked back up the hotel seeing small movement on the deck of where Annabeth Chase had taken some refuge in the sun. I could see her looking past Percy. She was looking at me. I resisted the urge to turn away. So, when she looked away I took off again across the bridge.

I stopped finally when I got to Aunty Em's Garden Emporium. Ethan Nakumaro was sitting out by a fire. I walked to the front door and knock nervously ringing my fingers. He greeted me in and I quickly opened the door. As soon as I made it in I opened my hand holding out the scythe charm.

Luke/Kronos sat and stared down on my for a while before he finally spoke, "What is this? You're supposed to be back at camp where we can get information."

"I'm done Luke. I'm done." I held out the chain and tried to hand it over. The charm hung down from my clenched fist as I gripped the chain.

"You've just started." He vanished for a split second and then was at my side before I could take another breath. "You aren't stopping now. We need this information." His voice was low in my ear. I felt a lump grow in my throat as if I wanted to cry. His voice had changed so much. Gone, was the sweet voice that had drawn me to taking the charm in the first place. Here was the voice of a titan lord, Lord Kronos. "Take the charm back. Go back to camp at the hotel, and don't come back. If you defy these orders your life will end." A tear trailed down my face as he directed me toward the door and shoved me away.

Once I was outside I ran from the scene. Ethan looked at me once as I passed and said nothing. I made it back to the bridge in almost no time. My chest was heaving as I tried to calm myself from the sprint I had just forced myself into all the way to the bridge. I put my hands on my knees as I bent over. Tears were falling heavily from my face and I wiped them away consistently. My vision was blurred as I looked up into the sky to find the position of the sun and estimate the time.

I collapsed onto the ground still breathing heavily and crying profusely. It was around three in the afternoon. Sweat was gathered on my brow and tears under my eyes to the point that my whole face was soaked.

"I won't tell anyone." A hoarse voice said that I recognized fairly well.

"Richard, how…?" My boyfriend stood over me with a sad face.

"I followed you out of the hotel room once you left." He explained squatting down in front of me. Richard rested a hand on my knee as he steadied himself in the awkward position.

"I wanted to get rid of it. He won't let me." I gasped at the amount of energy it took just to explain that small bit.

"Then get rid of it." He suggested wiping the hair and tears from my face.

"I can't. He – he said he'd kill me." I buried my face in my hands and let more tears fall. I refused to let him see me like this. Slowly, he rubbed my back trying to calm me down and not demanding anything of me.

"I won't let that happen. You should know that." He tugged on my hand lightly and pulled me to my feet. He stalked around to my backside and unhooked the necklace from my neck. His kissed my neck tenderly and then led me out to the center of the bridge. "Let it go." He whispered into my ear as he curled my fingers around the chain. Richard guided my hand out so that the necklace hung over the water. He rubbed the back of my hand and I dropped the necklace into the water. I heard the soft sound of a splash.

As soon as the chain had left my hand Richard kissed me. His lips met mine quickly and passionately. The kiss didn't last long, but I didn't mind. It was all I needed to know that I was in this war for more than just myself. I was in this war for the gods, for my friends, for Richard.

Later that day I fell asleep in his arms. Just like he promised, he didn't let me die. I can't day much for my dream though. It was frightening.

"Target this one," Luke/Kronos demanded pointing at a picture of me on a security camera screen. "She's supposed to be a spy, but she decided to give up. We have to keep our promises for those that summon a death wish." He explained to the people around him that were obvious leaders for the different sections of the war.

"We'll have someone special take care of her." One demigod promised using a dagger to pick at her nails. I recognized her, from my past a while back. She was Richard's ex.

"Very well, she goes down in battle tonight." Luke/Kronos said eyeing her warily. "Regroup your troops and then get ready to move out."

I woke up breathing heavily and gripping Richard's shirt. He kissed the top of my head and then told me it was time to suit up for the battle. As we tried to find some sort of armor we found it difficult. So many half-bloods were in this battle and we had lost many pieces of armor due to maiming the day before. I had to go with only a chest plate. I sheathed a blade and met with my cabin to get ready to split.

We fought for our lives that day being driven back farther and farther until we were nearly to the Empire State Building. I found Richard and we fought side by side. Demigods began to come after me. I was prime target. Richard kept them off of me as I tried to fight off as many as possible. Someone got around behind us and knocked me in the head. I fell down to my knees my vision blurring. Richard was stabbed through his midsection and I heard myself scream. A blade pierced through my back and I went out.

So, I was never caught as a spy by the people who would have blamed me for the war, but I did lose more because of the people that found out. Now, I remember. I went to the Underworld and was forced to meet with the people that would decide my punishment. I am forced to roam the Earth as a lost soul. I can never again see Richard who rest in Elysium. I am forever separated from my life. And that is the worst punishment of them all…

– Miranda Harrison, daughter of Ares


	6. Death by Dedication

**This came to me by form of reviewer. I got the idea of this from a good reader of mine whom I asked for help. **

**I had one reviewer who I wanted to pay special attention to for his odd review that made me smile: Grltitan. I thought it was quite funny because I assure you it is a creative imagination and the help of friends. It is not that I have to sit here and think of the different ways I can kill people. That's a bit morbid. I ask other people to help me! Thanks for the smile!**

* * *

When the moon shines over your body and you can't move out of harms way you don't expect to last more than a few hours. When you're a half-blood your hopes sink even lower. The noises of the night rang in my ears.

Pain pulsed through every vein of my body. The constant reminder of what I had just been through. Warm sticky liquid pooled around my right arm that lies in the dirt. I tried to distract my mind from the feeling of it. I tried to believe that it was left over rain from the storm that had just come through. But, I know that it is my own blood. The blood of a half-blood, a half-blood that can't move to protect her self, I was like a free meal to any monster with in a five mile radius.

The clop of horse hooves echoed through the woods, and I began to wonder. Where am I? Could I possibly be in Central Park? Could this be the mounted policemen? No, it wasn't possible. There wasn't enough space for Kronos to set up all of his tents. Unless, unless the people that had gotten me were just a small scouting squad. Either way, I just wanted out.

"We can set up camp here." A familiar voice broke through the trees and I felt tears prick at my eyes. Could I possibly be this lucky? Is it possible that he could be the one to find me? "Set up." He demanded. "Put the paintball gun away!" He bellowed.

"Yo, Chiron! We got something over here!" Someone's close voice sounded behind me as I lay on my side.

"Oh gods… Go help the others. I have to make a trip into the city." Warm hands slid under my back and pulled me into strong arms. I felt my conscious thoughts waver as I almost slipped away. "My child, can you speak?" Chiron's strong voice asked as the wind picked up around us. I assumed we were going through the woods at stop speed. I mumbled some incoherent words and he seemed to take that as a no. "My wheel chair is on my back I'll have to set you down for a bit on order to get situated within its magic." He informed me. I suppose it was him trying to make sure that I didn't slip into an unconscious state.

The cold concrete met my back and I felt as the red sticky liquid spread across my arm again. I tried not to dwell on it. It was a horrible feeling to be covered with your own blood. But, in a strange way I was glad I felt it. It gave me a reason to believe I was still alive. I could still feel that nasty feeling that meant I had to be alive.

He gathered me back into his arms awkwardly and I sat oddly upon a fake lap. He moved the hair from my face as we rolled down the side walk. The air was a crisp warm feeling against my skin. After being in the chill of the shadowed woods it was nice to be near some sort of civilization.

We rolled through two sliding glass doors and an air conditioner blasted chilling my body to the core. I couple gasps sounded from some passing nurses as we entered the building. A couple of beeps from a beeper and then the sound of a rolling bed headed our way.

"Sir, how did you find this girl? We need to know where she was found." The raspy voice of an older man said.

"I found her in the park. I suspect abuse by a possible boyfriend." Chiron answered calmly.

"What's your name sir?" A women's voice asked.

"Mr. Bruner,"

"Do you mind if we refer to you as her guardian?" The woman asked. I felt myself being lifted and placed onto a table of some sort.

"It would be much appreciated I am after all her grandfather. She's my charge since her parents have… moved on." Chiron lied coolly as if this happened every day.

"Thank you very much Mr. Bruner. We'll let you know how the check goes and then we'll begin what needs to be done." The doctor said taking the clipboard from the nurse who had been jotting down the little notes.

"Stay strong my child." He whispered to me and then kissed my hand. I slipped into a mild state of unconsciousness.

I'm not sure what they did to me while I was out, but when I woke up I wasn't positive what was going on. I was in a white room with nearly colorless furniture. There was a constant annoying beeping that sounded. It matched my heart and I realized where I was at that moment. I was in the hospital after what had happened to me in the woods. I was safe, for now…

Chiron rolled into the room closing the door behind him. He made his way to my bedside and slowly came to a stop right next to my hand. An IV was in my arm and there was something that was going into my system along with the clear fluid.

"How long have I been out?" I asked my voice was surprisingly rough and the back of my throat felt like sandpaper. I was just happy to hear my voice at this point.

"Two days, you had a lot of blood loss. Don't move too fast or else you may get dizzy." Chiron took my hand in his and his warmth warmed my whole hand. "I do need to know something though my dear."

"What is it?" I wondered looking up at the ceiling and the lights.

"What exactly happened in the woods that night?" He asked pulling himself closer to the bedside. I took in a hitched breath and let out slowly as I thought back on the night. "You need to tell me…" Chiron urged and I nodded a large lump sitting in my throat.

"Chiron, do you remember why my group left camp?" I asked first off seeing if he would remember.

"My child, so many people left camp before I left to find my brethren. I'm sorry. I don't remember." He answered truly apologetic.

"It's okay." I took in a breath through my nose. "Myself and two others left camp to make stops at mortal clinics to retrieve supply to help with injuries when the war comes." I remembered clearly the three of us leaving camp. Chiron waved from the porch of the house and as soon as we crossed the borders we fell into a dead sprint for wherever we were going.

We made it to the first clinic easily. It wasn't too hard to convince the doctors to give us some supplies because the head doctor was an ex camper who sensed what was wrong in the air. He willingly gave us a good bounty of supplies. "We got to the first stop and got what we needed." My voice came out monotonic as I remembered what happened next. Somehow I managed to hold off the tears.

"We headed to the next one closer to the city, and…" I told him exactly what had happened. As we headed toward the city, my friend, Ally, started to grow restless. She said something was wrong. She knew it. She was right, and I didn't listen. I didn't listen when I had the chance. They caught up to us.

"A scouting crew from Kronos' army, they found us in the woods…" I remembered bowing my head and finding that it only made it harder for me to breathe. I lifted my head again and looked at Chiron tears clearly in my eyes. "They knew my position in the cabin. They knew all of our positions. It's like they knew all about camp. They knew I had some control at camp and kept me."

"What happened to the other two?" Chiron asked signifying to me that he was still listening.

"They killed them. They killed Ally and Ben claiming that they weren't the important ones." I thought how they had us all bound at the wrists and ankles. These evil people that had turned their backs on the gods had made me watched. These traitors made me watched as they beat my friends to death. And… and I had to watch until their final breath.

"They demanded that I tell them information." I continued feeling my emotions climb up my throat. Soon, I would be in a flood of tears. "I wouldn't tell them. I wouldn't give in." I whispered. Every time I had said no they would beat me. It was a little worse every time until I'd rather just die. Bruises covered every inch of my skin and I was raw and sensitive to the touch. "I said no a final time and they cut me in multiple places and left me to die in the woods. They told me I wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon and I…" I thought about how they had hit me in the back… hard. A crippling blow, how true the name was… "My back," I suddenly realized what that sickening crack had been.

"You've been paralyzed from mid waist down." As he said that I realized that I couldn't feel my legs at all. An ache throbbed at where my feeling cut off to the rest of my body. I struggled to try and sit up farther to move my legs. The motion drained me completely and I sat back trying to catch my breath. "Relax my child. You don't have much energy left in you. You need to recuperate." I nodded in response that making my head spin. I suddenly felt really tired and woozy. My head spun for a few more second before I went out.

I opened my eyes once more. My vision was tunneled as I looked at the men arguing at the end of my bed.

"She's awake right now doctor! You can't do this!" What sound like Chiron whispered harshly.

"That's only because of what she is Chiron. Believe me, if she was a normal mortal she would be dead. She'll just be in pain if she continues to live her life in and out of the hospital." The doctor wasn't yelling or even angry. He knelt down in front of Chiron and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I have the upmost respect for you Teacher, but this cannot be stopped. It's her time. We can pull the plug now and put her out of her misery. Please Chiron; consider it for the girl's sake." Chiron looked away from him and that was when I noticed the number of machines that sat around me supporting the last bit of life I contained.

Chiron rolled to my side and I couldn't move my head to look at him. He took my hand into his and sighed hanging his head. "I fear this is the last time I might be able to talk to you before your soul makes its way to Hades' realm. I must say my apologies for not finding you sooner. And now, I must say good bye. I shall take your body back to camp and it will be burned along with a shroud to honor you."

I wanted to say thank you for his kindness. I wanted to tell him he was a great teacher, but I couldn't muster the strength. Along with that, Chiron rolled away to talk to the doctor. He told the doctor something and my eyelids grew heavy. I didn't get to see what happened and I don't think I cared.

My soul wandered to the lines that lead to Elysium. As I stepped into line I noticed two people a couple people up from me. I felt the happiness boil inside of me because I knew one thing for sure. Ally, Ben, and I would all make it to Elysium. Together our souls would live as heroes forever…

– Maggie Colleen, daughter of Apollo


	7. Death by Lack of Knowledge

**The next person. And the killer at the end guess who he is! It should be interesting to hear your guesses because if you get it wrong, well... you better reread the PJO series.**

* * *

The cold feeling of metal, that feeling that should only ever be felt on the outside of one's body, it should, but isn't always. Swords, the weapon of the old days, it was always a brilliant and deadly weapon. But, it had to be in the hands of a true swordsman. Nowadays, we didn't have the grace and the skill to use such weapons. Only in the movies do we now see recreated work of the kings and noblemen so long ago.

Well, that's what I thought…

I stare down at my bloody hands and look up to the shaded blue eyes of a young boy. He doesn't smile, nor does he frown, the mask of a straight faced killer. He had come to me; nay, he had hunted me. I hadn't noticed, but now I wish I would have. I might have been able to stop my down fall.

Maybe, but I doubt it tremendously. He was trained. He was the one with the weapon. I wouldn't have been able to outrun him. In P.E. I excelled tremendously. But, this boy had experience in chasing his pray. He was a jungle cat within my city. At first, I had just thought of him as a younger boy with eyes for me. I didn't pay him much attention until he started to follow me. Then, I just thought of him as a stalker. But, it kept going. He never got bored and I had a feeling his was memorizing my schedules and paths from place to place. I didn't want to admit it to myself, but that's how I felt.

I decided I would skip my extra curricular at the community college for psychology. I simply walked around town. He followed me though. He seemed to be figuring out that I knew and dropped back from me just out of hearing range. I began to forget he was there.

My largely curled hair matched the state I lived in. Texas was gorgeous to me… sometimes. I walked to the coffee shop on the corner. I ordered a double chocolate macchiato with extra whipped topping, yum. I sat down at the table in the corner looking out the window. Cars passed lazily on the road outside for the dinner rush. I would have to go pick up my car at the shop and then head home by curfew.

I sat there for a couple minutes enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of the coffee shop. The small of coffee beans and steamed milk filled my senses. There was a warm feel to the air around me that wasn't unpleasant but relaxing. Then, he walked in. I sucked down the rest of my coffee and threw it away before quickly exiting the café.

I sped walk down the sidewalk quickly. My short pleated skirt was rather had to keep down and speed walk at the same time. The match with my impractical red heels made it that much better. My top was a tight t-shirt with a vest so it didn't matter. It's not something I would typically wear, but in order to get into the sorority I had to dress like them. Well, this is how they dressed.

I got to an alley and walked into it. It sounds stupid but I had been down this alley time and time again. My boyfriends and I had always met here when we needed to escape my protective father. I stood at the end and waiting for the stalked to pass, but he never came. Night began to fall and I looked at my watch. My curfew for getting into the dorms was in an hour and my car was fifteen minutes away.

My first step was cautious as I made my way toward the mouth of the alley. I continued with the short cautious steps until I was almost home free. I took one normal step and was thrown against the wall. My head whacked against the bricks and I sunk to the ground on my knees. I slid my shoes off and pulled the pepper spray from my purse before standing back up. Immediately I was pressed against the wall with a blade of some sort at my neck.

"What's your mother planning?" The shadowed figure demanded hissing in my face.

"My mother left me." I spat spraying the pepper spray in his eyes. He dropped me and covered his eyes. I ran barefoot down the street not even bothering to make sure my skirt didn't come up. I heard a car honk and then skid to a stop at my side.

Someone grabbed my arm and I screamed. "Shhhh, it's me. Be quiet." It was my boyfriend. "Get in the car Honey." I followed his instructions and climbed into his truck's shotgun. "Sorry I scared you." He said sliding into the driver seat.

"How'd you know I was in trouble?" I asked as he pulled away from the curb.

"I don't know. I just sensed it. I guess…" He trailed off turning into a slum neighborhood. It wasn't a place I would typically go, but it was definitely a better place to hide then just driving down the street. We drove a little ways until we heard a gun shot. The truck rolled on three wheels with a blown tire. My driver cursed trying to push his truck to continue down the road. Another gun shot sounded and the other back tire blew.

"Get out of the car!" Someone yelled at us and I locked the door mindlessly.

"What are you doing?" I hissed as Trent began to climb out of his seat.

"I'm getting out. He might not kill us." Trent tried to bargain with me before completely getting out of the truck.

"Trent, Trent get back in the car!" I watched as Trent tried to talk to whoever was holding the gun. The gun went off again and Trent's body crumpled to the ground. "Trent!" I screamed climbing over the center console. My feet smacked against the ground and I ignored the pain as I ran to his fallen body. "Why would you kill him?" I demanded looking at the black haired boy approaching me. There was a patch over one of his eyes and I stared at him.

"My brother doesn't deserve to live in peace. Plus, it brought you out." The boy's voice was rough and he looked way younger than I had expected from a stalker of a college student.

"What are you talking about? Trent is an only child! He doesn't have any brothers." I looked down at Trent. A bullet wound showed right at his heart. "You killed him…" I whispered in disbelief.

"What is your mother planning?" I heard the gun reload and I looked up staring down the barrel of his gun.

"What are you talking about? My mother died when I was born." I didn't move anything but my lips as I looked at him.

"Your mother must have contacted you! What did she say?" He demanded stepping closer.

My heart raced as death neared me in form of bullet. "I don't know my mother! She is dead!" The gun fired and missed my head by an inch grazing my ear. "You almost killed me!"

"Almost is not an option." He hissed unsheathing a sword and stabbing me through the heart. I screamed as the cold metal entered me body. The unforgiving feel of a sword piercing through one side of you and coming out the other side slid through me. He twisted the blade in my heart and I gasped. "You should have told me what you know…"

— Mollie Bryant, daughter of Athena


	8. Death by Vulnerability

**This is such a morbid series. This is where I release the dark part of my mind. We all have that secret corner in our heads where everything goes wrong. This is my corner... Welcome to my head. **

* * *

I lay in this bed having been broken one too many times. My bare back touches the sheets. My chest is pressed against _his_. The blankets shift and he rises from the bed.

"Wake," He demands. "I have a meeting with Lord Kronos and his other Lieutenants."

"Yes Sir," I respond automatically.

"I'll come and fetch you later." He informs me. My clothes are tossed and land just on the other side of me so I can get dressed. "Take a shower today." He orders setting down a bar of soap in front of me as I rise from the sheets.

"Yes Sir," I whisper pulling on my separate articles of clothing. As I try to clasp my bra he helps me kissing my shoulder blades as he hooks the bra into place. I pull on my shorts and T-shirt, grab the soap, and flee out the back of the tent.

As I make my way out of the tent and to my own I get many stares. From the boys: they whistle or talk about "tapping that" depending on their age. From the girls: I get sorrowful glances, and a couple of jealous glares. From the monsters: I get disgusted looks. They mutter things like: "Stupid mortal. Clearly, some of them don't know I can hear them.

"Where di you go last night?" A small girl whom I have befriended during my stay at camp torture said.

"I had a meeting." I claimed taking seat to my cot in our tent. It's me and three other girls. The nights when _he_ fetched me it is hard to keep them all asleep. Especially, this little girl, and she was the one that needed to stay asleep. I didn't want her to wake up and follow us back. It would be too much even for her. She was strong yes, but what he did some nights would scare the strongest being. Especially because I wasn't built for it being the mortal I am.

"Was it with Lieutenant?" Madeline, a sixteen year-old girl, asks walking straight to her cot as if it was her conversation to intrude on.

"Yes," I admitted. "Hey, where are those camp grounds where we take our showers?"

"Quarter mile to the west," Madeline said messing with a Rubik's cube.

"Thanks," I left the tent.

* * *

The camp grounds were a nice sight to see. Tents and motor homes strewn everywhere, but there were people. No monster, no half-bloods, just mortals, they were all mortals. I wandered over to the bath house and was happy when I saw it was empty. Mostly, it was because it was a unisex bath house.

I turned the water on letting the cold droplets of water hit my skin. I hung my clothes on a hook and submerged myself under the falling water. I didn't make the water hot though. The icy feeling of the cold made me go numb which is what I wished I could do. Just to go numb and never feel again.

"She went in here." And all too familiar voice sounded outside the curtains of the stall I had taken refuge to. This voice had been following me looking for a good time that my master would not allow me to give.

"There's only one stall on. So, it's easy to find her." His best friend said most likely at his side where he always was.

"Baby, you in there?" The first guy asked right outside. I stayed silent not daring to utter a word. He opened the curtain just slightly and took in the sight of my body. "It is you." He hissed stepping in.

"Please Thomas, leave me alone." I begged pressing myself against the wall.

"No, shhh, don't cry." It was then that I noticed I was crying. I probably always cried in the shower so no one would know, but even I hadn't noticed until now. He reached out a hand wiping the water from under my eyes.

He pressed his lips to mine gently. I made no moved to return the kiss. It would only end in trouble. The cold water poured onto his back until he changed it, warmer and warmer. Soon it was at a scalding temperature.

"Please…stop…" I begged as he kissed my neck. I tried to push him away, but he shoved me into the wall silencing my pleas. All that came out was a small whimper as I felt the cold tiles crush into my back. Bruises were already on my skin and now they would only be darker and hurt even more. No difference to when I woke up this morning really.

"Thomas, Thomas, Lieutenant is here. Thomas!" His best friend frantically called to him as I heard footsteps approaching.

"Distract him." Thomas grumbled into the base of my neck.

"He'll skin me alive Man." His friend was obviously nervous but he went and talked to the Lieutenant. "Lieutenant Marquez, how are you today?"

"Sean, get out of my way." Lieutenant replies. I hear the slide of feet and then the sound of someone pushed into a wall. Sean was officially out of the way. I feared what he would look like later on in the day.

"Goodbye my dear," Thomas winked at me and then hoisted himself over the wall and into the next stall. I couldn't see how someone could have that much upper body strength. It seemed unrealistic. But, I was currently living in a world of the unrealistic. A deadly fairytale land.

"Laney?" Lieutenant calls out.

"Here," I answer reluctantly and he comes into the stall with that same smirk on his lips. I hold back the pour of tears as he approaches me like the predator he is. He pulls of his short and takes me into his arms.

"Are you done with your meeting?" I ask as he takes advantage of my being in the nude.

"It was a quick meeting." He mumbles. His hand reaches out and turns the water to a cold almost freezing temperature. I sigh as my body begins to numb, but where he touches I can feel pain. A pain that will scar me for the rest of my life. Not even having no feeling can keep the pain away. My wish to be numb forever faded in that moment.

"I'll see you tonight." He hissed and then left. I collapsed against the wall heavily breathing trying to control my frantically beating heart. I finish showering quickly and redress to leave after shaking my hair out wildly. I walked away from the bathhouse slowly. No one needed to know what went on in there.

I wished, as I walked, that I was in Manhattan. I wanted to be with my boyfriend. I was supposed to move in with him. He was the one I wanted to lose my innocence to, not Ray. Ray Marquez was the Lieutenant of Kronos' Manhattan outskirts camp. He found me while I had stopped at a rest stop. He killed my car and took me. Now, I was stuck here as he pleasure tool. I didn't receive weapons or training; I just slept with him, a terrible life to live. I sat through meals and went through the motions until he came and fetched me.

That's what I did everyday. And, that's what I did today. I returned to camp went to lunch and dinner. Between the meals I would wander around the camp or watch the training half-bloods. Some would stop and look at me and that's when I would walk away. It was in my rules:

1) Please Lieutenant Marquez

2) Don't distract the others

3) Come when called

That was how my life went. In this camp I wasn't a person; I was a toy, nothing more, nothing less. I was the toy, but only for one person.

That was the fourth rule:

4) Be faithful to Lieutenant Marquez

A rule that had been broken that day. It was not broken by me. No, it had been broken my Thomas. I did not wish to die any time soon for there was only one consequence to breaking the rules: death.

Now, I lie nearly motionless on my cot. The sun has disappeared under the horizon and it's dark. I start to nod off, but I force myself awake.

Thomas entered the tent and ordered, "Get up. Lieutenant made me come get you."

"Why?" I ask crawling from my cot and making my way to his side.

"Don't know. Come on." He grabbed my hand and pulled me out into the night air. Embers of a once glowing flames smoldered in the slight drizzle that had started to come down.

We made it all the way to Lieutenant's tent and stepped in. It was surprisingly warm the cloth of his make-shift home. He was standing by his desk messing with something in his hands.

"She's here sir. Am I dismissed?" Thomas asked obviously unsure about staying here too much longer. There was something about Lieutenant that scared everyone. Even bastards like Thomas.

"Yes, you are." Thomas turned to leave and that's when Lieutenant whipped around. There was a loud noise and then the thump of a body hitting the ground. After my mind cleared from the chaos I could see the gun in Lieutenant's hands.

"Oh God…" I whispered tears rising to my eyes out of fear.

"Lucky, a quick death is always the best." Lieutenant set down the gun on the desk and approached me. I didn't dare move as he circles me. "Why'd you do it?" Lieutenant demanded.

"Do what?" I asked fear clear in my voice.

He slapped me clean across the face and my whole body jerked with the action. "Don't feed me that bull Laney. Why'd you do it?" He demanded

"I didn't do anything!" I claimed. Nothing but the truth, yet he wouldn't believe me. Unfortunately, I already knew that.

"Liar!" He roared kicking the backs of my knees so that I fell to my knees. "Thomas is dead because you let him take advantage of you!"

"I don't let people take adv–"

"You let me! He's no – different!" Right before his last word he kicked me in the stomach. I fell over on my back and moaned in pain. I didn't stay sedentary for long though.

He ripped me from my spot on the ground and held me up. "Why'd you do it?" He spat in my face.

"I didn't do it." I sobbed continuously. "Please, don't kill me." I begged.

He groaned with disgust and threw me backwards. My head knocked against the desk and I could feel the warm sticky liquid oozing from the wound that had just been created. My vision blurred from a mix of losing blood and crying. I rolled over so that I was in a crawling position and saw a bit of blood come from my mouth.

Ray walked over and kicked my head. Pain rattled throughout my body as I fell to the ground. Pain pulsed through me as if it were a part of my anatomy. Ray picked up the gun and pointed it at my chest as I writhed in pain against the dirt covered, unforgiving floor.

"Goodbye…" He whispered and the gun went off.

I will tell those who believe in heaven that my life was good. Good, up until the point of my seventeenth birthday. I was supposed to move to Manhattan with my boyfriend, and every thing took a turn for the worst. My life ended after breaking too many times. I am dead because I am weak. I am dead because I am mortal.

–Delaney Williams, mortal girl, can see through the Mist.


	9. Death by Witness

"You will never understand! Don't you get it Mom? I'm not like you, and I never will be!" I screamed at my mother. We had been fighting for at least thirty minutes now. No one had asked what the noise was so there was no point in stop fighting. My little brother and sister had coward to there rooms a while ago. We had fought the whole car ride home and now at home.

"I'm just saying. I want you to try and go to this psychiatrist to see what's wrong. That's all I ask for." She had calmed down quite a bit and given up on screaming. Screaming was where I excelled. No one beat me at my own game, and I always had the last word.

"I'm not crazy Mom! That man tried to kill me. I don't know what you saw, but whatever it was, it was wrong! I'm no crazy; I'm not going crazy. That's what happened!" I had seen a man at my school earlier that day. He had looked like an ordinary janitor at first, but if I tried to focus in on him I could have sworn I saw only one eye. It was hard to focus on his face though. You really couldn't get past his ugly teeth.

"Just please this once trust me and go to this doctor." My mother tried to reason. It was a failure on her part really. I screamed in frustration and stormed down the hall to my room. I slammed my door for dramatic effect and jumped on my bed burying my face in my pillows.

The day had started out well, to tell the truth. Slowly but surely, it declined into the worst day of my life. When I woke up it was awesome. I had a good life really. I was an athlete at my school. I had a boyfriend who was on the football team as a wide receiver. He was the perfect height for my short self. I had a mom who was typically cool. She gave me a lot of what I wanted, but she didn't spoil me.

I woke up with an abnormally good hair day. I combed it out and brushed it then put it in curlers for while I walked around the house. It was a typical morning. With the rollers in my hair I had breakfast with my little brother who always made me laugh. That morning was no different. We sat there and laughed watching the morning cartoons.

Once I finished breakfast I went back to my room and took out the hair curlers. I sprayed my curls and flipped the few with a curling iron that wouldn't stay just right. I did my makeup lightly and told my mom I was leaving. She called form the kitchen telling me I had practice today. I asked her which practice she told me today it was gymnastics. I thanked her and walked out the front door with my satchel backpack.

The walk to school went great. I had my boyfriend meet me at the street corner and we walked hand in hand all the way to the coffee shop. That was the bright side of living in a small town. We always got the simple pleasures like morning coffee down the street. It made our day strangely. But, that's a small town for you.

We walked all the way to school laughing. We slowly depleted the cups of there coffee goodness until we came to school. The teachers eyed our holding hands but said nothing. We were unbothered by teachers. They had all given up. No longer did they care about the rules against PDA. It was a fetal attempt to stop it anyways.

I went through the first three periods of school as usual. But, the fourth change over got strange. I felt like someone was following me. I ignored it until my boyfriend jumped up behind me. I smacked him on the arm and then laughed as he whispered in my ear how he was going to kidnap me. It was a joke he had pulled since I met him even when we weren't going out.

I kissed him goodbye as I started my hike to the field house for my weightlifting class. I got halfway over and someone grabbed me around the neck. "Matthew stop it." I scolded as they dragged me behind the bushes. "Matthew—,"

"Shut-up!" It wasn't Matt. "Where is the group of demigods that came down here?" Demigods? Was this person insane? His forearm wrapped around my neck and constricted. "Where are they?" I couldn't breathe. I struggled trying to get free until he lifted my feet from the ground. "Where are they?" He demanded again.

"I…don't – know what…" I couldn't finish. The oxygen was cut off from my brain and everything was fuzzy. I went still. I wasn't dead, but I didn't have the power to struggle any further. He set my feet on the ground and let me go. I tumbled to my knees trying to breathe normally. Somewhere in the still sane part of my mind I heard the bell ring. _That's the first time you were ever late for class. _I told myself trying to crawl away from him.

A foot came down squarely on my back and I fell to the ground. I heard the click of a gun being loaded and I took in a sharp breath. "Please…" I begged. "Please don't kill me." I pleaded flipping over to face him. He had a hood over his head and two shaking hands were holding out a gun. "Please…"

"I have to. We have to get rid of those who won't follow Kronos." He muttered trying obviously not to cry. "He said I have to." He told me trying to convince himself that it was okay because he was told to do so.

"My name is Jessica Langum. I'm the captain of the debate team. I have a little brother and a mother. My father left my family. I don't know who he is. I have a boyfriend who loves me dearly and I'm not sure if I love him back. If you kill me I'll never know." I told him trying remember the few defense classes. I had also heard that if you tell a killer your personal information he's less likely to kill you. "What's your name?" I asked as he hands seemed to stop shaking.

"John…John Michaels." He answered. "I'm not going to kill you. Have a good life." He pulled the hood from his head and picked the gun up again. I started to have labored breathing as he put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. The gun fired and the blood spattered a bit. It got on my shirt and I screamed.

I got to my feet and ran with a limp to every step. One kid stepped out of a room and stopped me. "What's going on Jess? Why are you running?"

"The kid he – he shot…"

"He shot you where? Where'd you get shot?" The kid asked. I could barely see his face I was looking around continuously trying to make sure no one else came after me. His blood was on my shirt and his gun was in his hand. John Michaels had shot himself. Never would I be the same. Never would look upon live as a given gift, it was a privilege to live. John taught me to live life before it ends. John is also the reason I had to visit a special doctor twice a week.

He's the reason I fought with my mom that night. He's the reason I ran away. He is the reason I was hit by that truck out on the street. He's the reason I am now six feet under. Flowers lie on my grave and my mother is crying. Matthew stands at her side with his hands in his pockets. My little brother understands I'm gone but not to a major extent. He'll realize in time. John didn't kill me that day, no, but he did kill me in time.

— Jessica Langum, daughter of Apollo, witnessed the suicide of John Michaels.


	10. Death by Flirtation

**Hey y'all writer's block sucks. And, this...this is to keep my series going. I need inspiration. Consider this an open box for ideas. Don't put something stupid. That is not the point of this series. **

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A foul taste still lingers on my tongue. I don't know how long it will take to fade, but I hope it's soon. The taste of iron and something else are driving my senses insane. I can't see. It's all a blur. I can't feel. I'm numb to the touch. Where somewhere touches my skin I feel nothing, so I don't know what's going on around me. It's unfair. I'm not even sure how this happened.

I shouldn't be where I am. It's dark and all I can see is a long line of people that look like me in a way that is totally different from anything I've ever seen. They all glow with this bit of blue light that I never thought could be real. Why? Because we are glowing, I can see that. But, we aren't illuminating light any farther then our skin. That's when I realize we're all transparent. No, we don't have skin; we're like films. Our ski is as thin and as transparent as a window.

I come to the front of the line and, what seems to be a ghost, looks me over warily. It was as if this one particular ghost had to do this all day and was tired of it. He looks down at a clipboard and sighs. "You died young." I realize he's southern at that point. His drawl makes it apparent. Then I realize he's in a Confederate uniform.

I opened my mouth as if to answer the man with a, "Duh." But, instead it's a whispered of nothing. It comes out pointless and useless to the man who could clearly speak normally.

"Killed, murder," the man mutters flipping through a few pages. "It's really unfortunate what this war has done to the world above." He continues to speak as if I can actually get in on the conversation like a normal human. Which obviously I'm not.

Wait, he said war… When I was alive I could've sworn there had been no war. No, we had a rather peaceful world, other than stupid inner political crap. We hadn't started any war with any country and I was sure no one had tried to start a war with us.

"Hmmm… That's a better way to go then some of these people." He says thoughtfully looking at his clipboard. "Just take a look." He continues in his thick drawl. The ghost motioned with his hand back to the people behind me. I turn just slightly to see people with ghostly swords sticking from their illuminant forms. The weapons of old ages seemed to have destroyed these people, and they didn't seem to mind at all. They just looked around curiously smiling in content as if they were happy with how they left the world.

"Heroes. Every one of them." The ghost grinned. "I suppose you are too, but you didn't do much to defend Olympus." The man in front of me draws my attention forward. He opened a special velvet rope like he's some kind of bouncer and waves me on through. "Good luck getting that poison aftertaste out of your mouth." That's when it hits me. I know exactly why I'm here. I know exactly when and how I died.

My friends and I are heading down to the hotel to meet some cute vacationers and get some sun. To get both all we would have to do is lay in the sun by the pool. We've done this a ton of times every summer that I've lived here. I didn't grow up here, so it's not like I live my life by this one pool looking for cute guys.

This particular day it seemed like the guys around the pool were hitting on every one of my friends, but not me. That never happened. I was always the first one they went to and then when they were turned down they would go to my friends.

I thought I had smeared eye liner or something, so I told my friends I was going to the poolside bar and left them. I fished for the mirror in my bag and pulled out the small bit of reflective glass. My make-up wasn't smudge. I looked like my normal self. I always looked like this when I came to the pool. So why wasn't any guy coming near me?

The glass slipped from my hand and hit the ground. "Well shit…" I muttered bending down to pick it up. A guy's hand shot out in front of me picking up the mirror for me. A gasp escaped my mouth and I almost fell onto my butt. The guy caught my hand and smiled at me.

His smile was gorgeous. He had beautiful teeth and he was perfectly calm and composed as he set me back on my feet. He had this beautifully shaggy sandy colored hair. I couldn't help but notice how sculpted his chin and cheeks were yet he still had dimples when he flashed that smile.

"Sorry I scared you." He said with a husky voice that I somewhat expected from his looks. "I was just trying to help you out. I saw you drop your mirror." He let my arm loose slowly and then handed me my mirror. "My name's Samuel. Samuel Fondeil."

"Hi." I blushed turning away from him and continuing toward the bar. I never gave my name because that's a death wish. Once they know your name then they'll never leave you alone. I asked for a virgin strawberry daiquiri as I sat down at the bar.

"I'll be paying for hers." Samuel Fondeil said sitting down next to me.

"Thanks." I smiled at him. He seemed different. He wasn't like the other guys hanging around the pool. He didn't belong. I got my drink and turned to Samuel as I took the first sip. "So why are you being so nice to me?" I could've slapped myself right there. It was so stupid to be forward.

"You seem like a nice girl." He told me. He looked over at the beach behind us and smiled as the sun started to set. "Bring your drink and let's go for a walk out there on the beach." It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

Though my gut told me that the assertiveness of his statement was dangerous I shut my gut up and took my drink with me as we headed for the sands. Samuel kept his hands in his pockets as he walked. I didn't think anything of it. I had met shy boys. They would stay a distance away and they wouldn't look you in the eyes. But, the only thing that bothered me was that he didn't seem like that kind of boy.

It really was an awkward walk. We just walked and said nothing. Never had I been speechless in a male's presence. But, my stomach was churning in upset. My fingers twitched nervously and my hand shook as I brought my glass to my lips.

My phone went off in my purse and I started to dig through my bag. Samuel offered to take my drink and I thanked him handing him the glass as I continued to dig through all my crap. I finally found my phone and opened it to press to my ear. "Hello?" I said into the phone. The dial tone filled my ear and I huffed in annoyance. "They hung up." I took my drink back and took a sip. "Sorry, that was rude."

"No, no, it's perfectly fine. I realize you must have a lot of people you talk to." Samuel said sadly.

"I didn't recognize the number. It was probably a wrong number." I assured him touching his arm. I started to cough and I had to stop walking completely. Samuel looked at me worriedly as I set down my bag. He took the drink from me again and smiled as I went to my knees.

"You won't help them now." He hissed evilly.

"What – what are you – talking about?" I hacked looking up at him.

"You know. You really shouldn't use cell phones. They attract monsters." He dumped the drink in front of me as I continued to cough and then walk away.

"Help! Someone – please!" I called still coughing. I realized I was in the middle of no where as I fell into the sand and closed my eyes as the numbness took over. The fowl taste hadn't been apparent until the drink was gone. My tongue was dry. And, I my life force wilted until it was nothing.

I now remember exactly how I died. Once I figured it out the fowl taste left my mouth. I walked a long path to a large gate. As they opened I was welcomed by the ghostly faces of those like me. They were all like me. Dead. Yet, I felt as if I didn't belong.

—Rachelle Mandela, daughter of Aphrodite


	11. Death by Sacrifice

**I HOPE SOMEONE READS THIS. lol, no reviews on this in a long time. I like this chapter too.**

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Death is natural. It always has been. It comes. It goes. _It stays. _That's what's wrong with being a hunter. You always stay. You're there for the miracle of birth. You're there for the tragedy of death. And you, you are forever young. Once you join you're happy. You think life will be better. Death is something that isn't a problem.

Then it gets bad. After your natural life time is up you lose _everything. _Everyone you knew and loved dies. They move on. And eventually, you are forgotten. You don't get a name. The other hunters, they know who you are, but after a while it isn't enough. After a while, you want to the feel the love of the ones you left behind. That's when you started to wonder.

You wonder what it would feel like to wake up in a lover's embrace. You wonder what it feels like when you get your first kiss. But, as a hunter, you'll never know. Stuck forever at the age fifteen is like death. _Over and over. _Why? Because you have to live in a never ending existence that forces you to think: _What if? _

What if you could feel the way you did when you were a little kid? The bliss of being untainted and yet loved, that's where everyone wishes, they could be. Your mother's love. Your father's protection. Your childhood friend who held your hand after knowing you for five minutes. Those were the things I cherished in my life. I cherished kissing my mother and father goodnight. I cherished that little boy down the street who kissed my cheek and told me he loved me even though we were still just little kids. At the time, I believed him. I believed everything. I believed that someday I would be swept away to a life of ease.

When I turned fifteen that friend moved away. He said he would never see me again. He said he could never come back in a letter that said he had fallen in love. My heart broke in two and my mind was lost. I would runaway into the woods behind my parents' house. I turned my back on my parents and broke their hearts in turn for mine breaking. Then I lost them.

I remember the day that a caller came to my house, and told me that my father had been died. He had had a heart attack while working at his bank. My mother slowly went insane. She didn't try and coax me out of my pain anymore. She was enveloped in her own.

When I couldn't take it anymore, I left. I packed a bag pulled on some of my rattier petticoats and ran. That was when I found Artemis. She said only in battle could I die and that I would be loved among my fellow hunters. I took the deal. I took it because I knew she wasn't lying. She thought she wasn't lying. In her mind every huntress was safe. From death. From _everything. _She was wrong.

My sisters. My fellow huntresses. They were dying around me. The war ruined everything. It took away my peace of mind and everything was crashing. There were sounds of explosions all around us. We were joining hands, hugging. We knew not all of us were going to survive. Yet, we had come under Thalia Grace's order.

I blame her.

Her rule came and suddenly we were allowed to be friends with guys. She would hug the Perseus Jackson as if it were no big deal. I knew what came from making friends and joining the Huntresses of Artemis. You only got hurt. You always got hurt. Now, she wanted to help the demigods and brought us to our death.

My family for the past hundred years or more was falling around me. And, I couldn't stop it. One of my best friends went into a lock of swords with a turned demigod. Their archer lined up to make the shot and I didn't let it happen. I sprinted in front of her as the archers fingers loosened and let go of the bowstring. As the arrow flew I knew what was happening next. The arrow pierced through my heart and I didn't make a sound as I fell to my knees and then to the ground. My friend sliced through the demigod and kneels next to me holding my head on her lap.

"Rina! Rina, stay with me. Gods you idiot, you weren't suppose to do that." She yelled at me touching my cheek. I smiled at her weakly and felt myself falling. "Rina, don't you dare close you eyes." She demanded tears streaking her grimy face.

My soul came from my body and I was standing next to my friend and my dead body. I touched her back before feeling my soul being sucked to the Underworld. I can't say I'm sad that I died. Living forever is like dying over and over. Death is my only way to escape death.

— Catherina Jenkins, Huntress of Artemis


	12. Farewell

**I have just started to get into a project that has been long put off. It's an original book in which I have had interest in for quite some time. I have spoken to Rick Riordan and any of my works here are not permitted to be published therefore all I can do here is receive feedback. After getting myself into a class to send my writing even higher I have realized that one thing is possible: EVERYTHING. The sky is the limit and I intend to test that limit. Believe me if I make it anywhere I will let the writing world know. If I get anything published then there will be a shout out in the front of my book to all of my readers who stuck with me through thick and thin. Crappy and good writing. Hopefully, you will be able to recognize my style though it differs from story to story, and maybe someday the world will know my name not just Wisegirlindisguise. So, I bid this site farewell, and maybe, just maybe Wise Girl will go down in history not within a text book, but within the minds of all that will read my stories. Farewell, fanfiction.**

**Sincerely,**

**The last post,**

**Wisegirlindisguise**


	13. So Close Yet So Far

**Sorry that this story has almost no production. It is not a priority story as of right now my priorities are screwed. So bare with me. **

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Caressing deaths cheek is not something I was lucky enough to do. Some kiss death and accept it knowing that they went peacefully laying calmly as poison ate through them, or going in their sleep. A gentle thrust of a sword through the heart. Only if I were so lucky.

Blaring in your ears, the fading in and out of a loud noise, bright red lights up and down the metal corridor, it was the sound and sight of distress. Within the metal cages we called a hallway rang like church bells after noon. The noise tumbled down each hall like a tidal wave repeating as it went so that its sound was renewed until the next wave came and it started again.

I was standing in the hallway my ears ringing. The bright red lights registered in my brain and I started to run for the nearest exit to the top deck of the ship. I had been here for only a few months, but I had already been reduced to what the rest of the demigods had become after their joining of our ranks; our ranks being the Titan army.

Right now we were nothing but a nameless cruise ship traveling up the East coast of the USA. The only ones that had bothered to notice us were the half-bloods at the camp just outside of Manhattan Island. Sure, we had been stopped by a few government ships, but with the Mist it was no issue to pass us off as a foreign luxury cruise. Other than that, there were no issues with our travels. We hadn't even had to use the alarms until that day.

Before I chose to come out to board this ship, I was living with my father. I had always thought my mother had just died. My dad had a few pictures of this dark haired girl, but other than that, I never knew her. I didn't have many friends and preferred to be up in the middle of the night rather than be up at noon.

When a boy with an eye patch showed up at my door at nine at night I almost immediately liked him. He told me what I could do with training and how I could learn about my mother who had, in fact, abandoned me. So we escaped into the moonlight and he brought me to the dock where I board the ship: _Andromada. _

Months. Months I had spent just practicing. Hacking through monsters who were convinced they could beat me. Needless to say, I proved them wrong. But today, today would be the true test. I would get a decent fight with maybe a half-blood if I was lucky.

From the rumors that we heard, demigods had stormed aboard and were ready for a fight. As heaps and waves of us stampeded toward the upper decks the ship stopped and we all fell forward. I laid against the unforgiving floor and waited for everyone to clear out but a few of my friends and myself. Finally, I stood getting ready to finish my mad dash for the fight.

One of the higher ranked officers sprinted up to us and grabbed my arm stopping me. "Percy Jackson is on the ship, be careful…" She warned. She looked scared out of her mind as if no amount of training could ever prepare anyone to face the wrath of a fifteen year old boy.

"How many did he bring with him?" I screamed over the sirens. They were still blaring and I had to listen closely just to hear anything besides their constant warning.

"One," with that she ran away.

The fire sprinklers on the ceiling sputtered to life and water fell in the red flashing lights as the rest of the lights shut off. I looked to me friends who were just looking at me. "We're all freaking out for two people! There are two people!"

"Well obviously they are someone important and they are doing some damage or the sirens wouldn't be going off!" A guy ran up the hall at a leisurely jog looking calm. He kissed a picture that he had pulled from his pocket and then slid it back in. He was huge and muscular, gorgeous in a way that was mortally average.

I grabbed his arm and stopped him. He looked over at me surprised and cocked an eyebrow at my gall. My smile grew as my hand constricted around his muscles more until I snapped out of his trance that had settled over me. "Do you think we should be freaking out like this?" I yelled over the sirens.

There was a small explosion just down the hall and monster dust puffed out of the door way. The green fire filled the hallway and was slowly put out by the sprinklers. The guys body shook as he laughed and a smile lit his features, "Yea, you should. You should be reacting like this. After what you guys finally find in the boiler room."

He tried to shake out of my grip and my friend grabbed him. "Take him upstairs!" I yelled moving the hair out of my face. "Get him on the upper deck and tell them to send some monsters down to help in the boiler room."

When they all disappeared on the stairs I took off. My feet splashed in the water. The water sloshed around into my shoes slowing me down as the fabric of my sneakers and the cotton of my socks soaked up the water like a sponge sending me for the worst of being water logged.

When I did reach the door I felt like lead. My whole body was soaked. My hair was in my face. I took off my shoes and left the socks in them in the hall before opening the door. I shook my head sprinting down the stairs that had a bit of water on them but other than that there was none.

Quickly, I scanned the surrounding. At first, there was nothing obvious until I focused more. Large jars of Greek fire sat between the machines and some were duct taped to the panels. I looked at a small igniter in one of the jars and I just stared at it. Once that one jar blew from whatever signal it was given every one of the jars would blow.

My mind raced and a not so bright idea occurred to me. Running over to the jar with the igniter I opened the top and reach inside to grab it. It wasn't my brightest idea to say the least. Pain tore through my arm faster than any fire I had ever experienced could. My eyes grew wide and I pulled my hand out. I set down the jar and backed away cradling my hand.

In the reflection of what of the machine I could see my bright eyes getting brighter. As I looked down to find the reason why I realized the Greek fire was crawling from the jar and growing. Slowly, it took over the spot on the floor around the jar. I back up hitting the stairs and falling backwards onto my butt.

Five or so block headed Cyclopes came in the door and marveled at the flames. I scrambled to my feet and ran up the stairs where the oafs just stood! I pushed them apart and tried to make it through screaming for them to move. "Get out of the way! It's gonna blow! We have to get off the ship! Don't you hear me? MOVE!" I shoved past the last one and took a deep breath before taking off bare foot down the hall.

"Beeping noise?" One of the oafs said loudly his voice fading as I tried to pick up more speed.

"Please no," I begged quietly as the stairs came into sight. I heard a loud bang and then green light chased me down the tunnel menacingly. "Please no! No no!" I screamed. My foot hit the first stair and it was over. Heat scalded my back and I was sent flying into a sheet of metal. The second wave hit and it was all gone...

Some people are lucky enough to caress death's cheeks. So why…why did I have to slam into death's chest head on never to have said I tried my hardest to get free. So close…yet so far.

~ Alethea Carmichael, daughter of Nyx


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